Colors in Nature Quiz

The natural world is full of color, everywhere you look! Do you have the vision to ace this Colors in Nature quiz?

Start Quiz »

You scored

0 out of 30

Question 1 of 30

What color are a juvenile zebra's stripes?

Brown

Zebras are born white with brown stripes. The zebra's stripes change to black about the time the zebra reaches its first birthday.

Black

White

Question 2 of 30

What plant provides the primary component of colored newspaper inks?

Senflowers

Eggplant

Soybeans

Soybean oil, which is a derivative of soybeans, is a primary ingredient in colored newspaper inks.

Question 3 of 30

Which cells of the human eye are color-sensitive?

Rods

Cones

While rod and cone cells are both found in the retina, it is actually the cone cells that are sensitive to color.

Ganglion cells

Question 4 of 30

How many colors are usually used to describe the visible spectrum for humans?

Five

Six

Seven

Although we see many shades in between, the visible light spectrum is commonly divided into seven separate bands: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Question 5 of 30

What is the most common eye color?

Brown

Brown eyes are the most common eye color across the globe. More than 55 percent of the world's population have brown eyes.

Blue

Black

Question 6 of 30

Which element gives turquoise gems their unique color?

Calcium

Copper

In a turquoise gemstone, the mineral that creates this unique color is copper aluminum phosphate. The copper provides a blue color, while a green hue is provided by a small amount of iron. Together, these colors create turquoise.

Magnesium

Question 7 of 30

Light from the sun contains only the white and yellow color wavelengths.

True

False

All seven colors are present in sunlight. A prism can be used to separate each color individually.

Question 8 of 30

The blue appearance of Neptune comes from which gas?

Methane

Methane, which is present in the upper atmosphere of Neptune, reflects blue light from the sun back into space. This gives Neptune its blue appearance.

Hydrogen

Helium

Question 9 of 30

What is the least common natural hair color?

Blonde

Red

Red hair is the rarest of natural hair colors. Only about two percent of the world's population has naturally occurring red hair.

Brunette

Question 10 of 30

Which part of the human eye is colored?

Iris

The colored part of the eye is called the iris. Pigmentation within the iris is what determines eye color.

Cornea

Lens

Question 11 of 30

What color are emu eggs?

Brown

White

Green

Emu eggs are a deep emerald green. Emus lay their eggs in grassy areas, and the green color is designed to keep the eggs camouflaged.

Question 12 of 30

Why do flamingos have pink feathers?

Genetics

Diet

Flamingos are actually born with grey feathers. Their feathers gradually turn pink when they eat a diet of brine shrimp and algae that contain a pink dye called canthaxanthin.

Salt water

Question 13 of 30

Which component gives human blood its red color?

Hemoglobin

The hemoglobin molecule in human blood contains iron atoms. It is this iron that makes our blood red.

Platelets

Fibrin

Question 14 of 30

What animal can see the widest range of color?

Honey bee

Golden eagle

Mantis shrimp

The mantis shrimp is believed to have the widest range of color vision in the animal kingdom. The mantis shrimp have 12 different types of photoreceptors, while humans have just three.

Question 15 of 30

Which element makes amethyst stones violet?

Vanadium

Manganese

Manganese is the trace element that provides the violet color of amethyst. Manganese appears on the periodic table as Mn and is atomic number 25.

Cobalt

Question 16 of 30

Tigers have striped skin under their striped fur.

True

Tigers have striped skin that matches their striped fur. The skin with darker pigmentation grows dark-colored fur, while the skin with lighter pigmentation grows light-colored fur.

False

Question 17 of 30

What color is a polar bear's skin?

White

Black

Polar bears have black skin covered by transparent and pigment-free fur. The fur appears white because it is so efficient at reflecting light.

Brown

Question 18 of 30

Dogs can see blue-violet and which other color?

Red

Green

Yellow

Cone cells are one of two types of photoreceptor cells in the retina of the eye. Dogs have only one-tenth of the amount of cones cells in their eyes as humans. Because of this, they see only two colors: blue-violet and yellow.

Question 19 of 30

What color is insect blood?

yellow or green

Insect blood, or hemolymph, is clear with a yellow or green tint. The yellow or green pigment likely comes from plants the insects have eaten.

red

orange

Question 20 of 30

What is the wavelength range of the color spectrum that is visible to people?

100-400 nanometers

400-700 nanometers

The wavelength of the color spectrum that is visible to people is 400 to 700 nanometers. Violet is on the low end, at 400 nanometers, and red is on the high end at 700 nanometers.

700-1000 nanometers

Question 21 of 30

Which cells allow cephalopods like squid and cuttlefish to change colors?

Melanocyte

Lymphocyte

Chromatophores

Specialized color-changing cells called chromatophores allow cephalopods to change colors. Each organism has thousands of chromatophores that can be activated at-will, often to hide from predators.

Question 22 of 30

Why is the sky blue?

Blue light is reflected.

Blue light travels in shorter waves and is reflected, or scattered, by tiny molecules in the Earth's atmosphere to a greater degree than other colors. This gives the sky a blue hue on clear, cloudless days.

White light is reflected.

Blue light is absorbed.

Question 23 of 30

Which reptile has the ability to change colors?

Gaboon Viper

Leopard Tortoise

Chameleon

Chameleons have specialized skin cells, called iridophore cells, that contain nanocrystals of various sizes and shapes. By exciting or relaxing the skin, and therefore these nanocrystals, the chameleons can change skin colors.

Question 24 of 30

Which element gives Mars its red appearance?

Rhodium

Iron

The red color of rocks and soil on Mars is due to a high concentration of iron.

Copper

Question 25 of 30

Why are clouds white?

Reflection

Clouds are white because of reflected light. The water droplets or ice crystals in clouds are large enough to reflect the wavelengths of all seven colors, which combine to make white light.

Absorption

Translucence

Question 26 of 30

Why do specific breeds of chickens lay brown eggs versus white eggs?

Hen size

Hen diet

Hen genetics

The color of chicken eggs is determined by the hen's genetics. Certain breeds will produce white eggs, while others will produce brown eggs. There's even a type of chicken that will lay blue and green eggs, although the breed is not officially recognized by the American Poultry Association.

Question 27 of 30

What color of blood do lobsters, snails and spiders have?

Blue

Lobsters, snails and spiders all have blue blood because of an oxygen-carrying molecule called hemocyanin. The central atom of hemocyanin is copper, and when exposed to oxygen, this copper will turn blue.

Red

Yellow

Question 28 of 30

Goldfish will lose their color if they are kept in a low-light environment.

True

Goldfish pigmentation is adversely affected by inadequate exposure to light.

False

Question 29 of 30

What is the term used to describe people with two different colored eyes?

Homochromia

Dichromia

Heterochromia

Heterochromia is the term for an individual with different colored eyes. The condition can be caused by injury, disease process or genetics.

Question 30 of 30

Which pigment is present in all green plants?

Melanin

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is present in all green plants and cyanobacteria. The pigment absorbs light to provide energy for photosynthesis.